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Preview of the 2010 Sci-Fi Movie Lineup

Give me Iron man 2, Toy Story 3 and Alice in Wonderland.
I'll see Toy Story 3 day one no questions asked. (it's Pixar, and TS2 was better than TS1, so TS3 has to be on par with one or the other)
Alice I'll see right away in IMAX. I have a soft spot for the dynamic duo of Burton and Depp.
Iron Man 2 I'll wait and see how the reviews and word of mouth go, but will probably netflix it.
 
How To Train Your Dragon-the trailer had me giggling. Should be good.
Toy Story 3-my son is 4, I have no choice.
Despicable Me might be good
Tron-can't wait
Iron Man 2-can't be too awful, I'll catch the disc
 
Inception is the main film that seriously looks interesting, and that's really at this stage because it's Christopher Nolan. There are a couple of others I might watch like Toy Story 3 but nothing's really grabbing me at this juncture as worth even following the press stuff. Beyond that the idea of the Cage film amuses me (The Seventh Seal only with Witches... and Nicholas Cage)!

And Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead, I can just picture the session:

Writer: Okay, so I want to make a film of Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead -
Exec #1: Undead!
Exec #2: *guffaws* You're a genius.
Exec #1: I know! I should be the writer.
Exec #2: Yeah, the writer - hey, can you work that in? Make it about vampires.
Writer: BUT IT'S ABOUT HAMLET!
(pause)
Exec #1: Uh, put vampires and Hamlet together?
Exec #2: Christ, I love this guy. Vampires and Hamlet. What's missing from this picture?
Exec #1: Nicholas Cage?
Exec #2: Nah, he's doing that witch movie. You know, Seventh Seal meets -
Exec #1: No, I mean that Nicholas Cage movie. Da Vinci Code.
Exec #2: You mean Tom Hanks. Or National Treasure. Hmm. Tom Hanks in National Treasure 3?
Writer: I think he means he wants an ancient conspiracy story. Which is so ludricously stupid that -
Exec #2: Brilliant! Ancient conspiracy, vampires, Hamlet.
Exec #1: And the guy's ex-girlfriend because, you know, awwwkward.
Exec #2: Gedda out here. Have them kiss kiss make up in Act 3. Winner! We can like have a teen girl craze and sweep the Oscars at the same time. Also whoever watches those Da Vinci movies. I need a raise, I'm too good for this business.
Writer: What the -
Exec #2: Just write it up, got that kid?
Writer: You know what? Fuck you, I'm writing this up. I'm going to give you the worst fucking vampire movie you've ever seen!
Exec #2: Fabulous. That's exactly what Melissa Rosenberg said. Ciao.
 
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Mmh, actually, I think Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead sounds kind of interesting. I mean it could be great in a weird way, it just depends on how they do it.

Some of those summaries sound horrible, though. The one with Nicolas Cage as a knight in particular. It's like they just threw all Middle Age clichés together, no matter whether they fit together or not.
 
^
It's sexy vampires and an ancient conspiracy.

Could it be interesting? Sure, but so can anything. Does it sound like a hodge-podge of popular stuff plus Hamlet? Yeah, just a little, particularly with the insistence on 'seriously sexy vampires.'

Come on, an ancient conspiracy plus vampires. Don't tell me they don't know what they're doing here. Speaking strictly idea-wise, the Nicholas Cage film is way better conceptually - it could be a film about a man's naive idealism being done in (being killed by a witch who you wanted to make sure got a fair trial, nasty).
 
Yeah, but I suspect it doesn't take itself too seriously and thus could be a lot of fun, while the Nicolas Cage film seems to be trying to be 'serious drama'.

On the other hand, 'Clash of the Titans' and 'The Lightning Thief' are meant seriously, even though their stories sound so ludicrous, so I guess, I don't know what to think. Wait and see, I guess.
 
That's a fair point. Possibly as a patische of current trends it'll work, but I remain comically and ineptly dubious. Trust me, if it's great, I'll eat my hypothetical hat.
 
The trailer for Daybreakers actually looks quite good. Supposedly the majority of the characters are vampires, and they day to day lives, which is an interesting take not often seen.
 
Here are the science fiction and fantasy films currently scheduled for wide release from September to December (and one additional likely August release):

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (August – exact date TBA)

Universal Pictures
Directed by Edgar Wright

Plot Summary: Scott Pilgrim must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil ex-boyfriends in order to win her heart.

Guardians of Ga’Hoole (September 24)

Warner Bros
Directed by Zack Snyder

Plot Summary: Acclaimed filmmaker Zack Snyder makes his animation debut with the fantasy family adventure "Guardians of Ga'Hoole," based on the beloved books by Kathryn Lasky. The film follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, his older brother, Kludd, scoffs at the notion, and yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father's favor from his younger sibling. But Kludd's jealousy has terrible consequences--causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones. Now it is up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls. Together they soar across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of the legendary Guardians of Ga'Hoole--Soren's only hope of defeating the Pure Ones and saving the owl kingdoms.

MegaMind (November 5)

DreamWorks Animation
Directed by Tom McGrath

Plot Summary: When super villain MegaMind (Will Ferrell) defeats his archrival Metro Man (Brad Pitt), the world should be his oyster. But instead, MegaMind falls into total despair. It turns out that life without a rival is life without a point for him. So, he creates a new superhero rival, Titan (Jonah Hill). Unfortunately, the new hero wants to be a super villain, too. Caught in the middle, star reporter Roxanne Ritchi (Tina Fey) asks the tough questions: Who can we turn to? Who has what it takes to stand up to this menace? Who will defend the innocent? MegaMind! That's who.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 (November 19)

Warner Bros
Directed by David Yates

Plot Summary: The final chapter of the "Harry Potter" film series begins as Harry, Ron and Hermione leave Hogwarts behind and set out to find and destroy the Horcruxes--the secret to Voldemort's power and immortality.

Rapunzel (November 24)

Walt Disney Studios
Directed by Byron Howard and Nathan Greno

Plot Summary: Walt Disney Pictures presents "Rapunzel," an action-packed, swashbuckling, animated musical comedy about the girl behind 70 feet of magical, golden hair. A princess stolen from her parents' castle as a baby, Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore) is locked in a hidden tower longing for adventure Now an imaginative and determined teenager, she takes off on a hilarious, hair-raising escapade with the help of a dashing bandit (voice of Zachary Levi). With the secret of her royal heritage hanging in the balance and her captor in pursuit, Rapunzel and her cohort find adventure, heart, humor, and hair... lots of hair. With original music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater, this comedic re-imagining of the classic Brothers Grimm fairytale comes to theaters in Disney Digital 3D.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (December 10)

20th Century Fox
Directed by Michael Apted

Plot Summary: This time around – Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their pesky cousin Eustace Scrubb – find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to a fantastic Narnian ship headed for the very edges of the world.

Joining forces once again with their royal friend Prince Caspian and the warrior mouse Reepicheep, they are whisked away on a mysterious mission to the Lone Islands, and beyond. On this bewitching voyage that will test their hearts and spirits, the trio will face magical Dufflepuds, sinister slave traders, roaring dragons and enchanted merfolk. Only an entirely uncharted journey to Aslan's Country – a voyage of destiny and transformation for each of those aboard the Dawn Treader – can save Narnia, and all the astonishing creatures in it, from an unfathomable fate.

Tron Legacy (December 17)

Walt Disney Pictures
Directed by Joseph Kosinski

Plot Summary: "Tron Legacy" is a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that's unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), looks into his father's disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin's loyal confidant (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.

Yogi Bear (December 17)

Warner Bros
Directed by Eric Brevig

Plot Summary: Everyone's favorite pic-a-nic basket-stealing bear comes to the big screen in "Yogi Bear." Jellystone Park has been losing business, so greedy Mayor Brown decides to shut it down and sell the land. That means families will no longer be able to experience the natural beauty of the outdoors -- and, even worse, Yogi and Boo Boo will be tossed out of the only home they've ever known. Faced with his biggest challenge ever, Yogi must prove that he really is "smarter than the average bear" as he and Boo Boo join forces with their old nemesis Ranger Smith to find a way to save Jellystone Park from closing forever.

The Green Hornet (December 22)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Michel Gondry

Plot Summary: A classic character of film, television, radio, and comic books returns to the big screen in Columbia Pictures' feature film "The Green Hornet," starring Seth Rogen as the vigilante crime-fighter. The film will be directed by Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") from a screenplay written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg ("Superbad," "Pineapple Express"), based upon "The Green Hornet" radio series created by George W. Trendle, and produced by Neal H. Moritz ("The Fast and the Furious").

Gulliver’s Travels (December 22)

20th Century Fox
Directed by Rob Letterman

Plot Summary: A big screen adaptation of "Gulliver's Travels," with Jack Black taking on the title role of Lemuel Gulliver, a free-spirited travel writer who, on an assignment to the Bermuda Triangle, suddenly finds himself a giant among men when he washes ashore on the hidden island of Liliput, home to a population of industrious, yet tiny, people.

Hereafter (December – exact date TBA)

Warner Bros
Directed by Clint Eastwood

Plot Summary: "Hereafter" tells the story of three people who are touched by death in different ways. George (Matt Damon) is a blue-collar American who has a special connection to the afterlife. On the other side of the world, Marie (Cecile De France), a French journalist, has a near-death experience that shakes her reality. And when Marcus, a London schoolboy, loses the person closest to him, he desperately needs answers. Each on a path in search of the truth, their lives will intersect, forever changed by what they believe might--or must--exist in the hereafter.
 
Another science fiction film set for release in 2010, but so far without a release date, is The Adjustment Bureau. It's a loose adaptation of Philip K. Dick's short story "The Adjustment Team". It's a Universal Pictures production, directed by George Nolfi, about a love affair between a politician (Matt Damon) and a ballerina (Emily Blunt) that's influenced by mysterious forces.
 
Matt Damon, Philip K. Dick, how bad could it be?

I'll keep an eye out for that, though given the general track record of PKD adaptations I'm not hopeful.
 
Expanding to French films, Luc Besson's Les Aventures Extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec is scheduled for release in France and Belgium in April. It's the first in a planned trilogy of films adapting the Franco-Belgian comic books of the same name. You can read about the comic books here and see stills from the film here.
 
Looks like they're adapting (at least in part) two books: Adèle et la Bête and Momies en Folie. I've only read Momies... of her books, many years back, and hated it as I recall. Crappy artwork and confused, rocambolesque plotting.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman
 
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